Broken guidewire fragment in the radio-brachial artery during transradial sheath placement: percutaneous retrieval via femoral approach.

A case in which a 0.014" wire was broken during the sheath placement in the radial artery for transradial coronary procedure is described here, and a successful retrieval of it using conventional methods is also described. Through the left femoral artery, the 6 Fr guiding catheter was advanced down to the tip of the broken wire at the brachial artery, and the distal part of the broken guidewire was captivated into the guiding catheter. By inflating the balloon catheter inside of the guiding catheter, seized broken guidewire between the inflated balloon and the guiding catheter was removed successfully by withdrawing the whole system en bloc.